The Ultimate Pick-me-up!

Fresh Manna 2009© by Pastor Tim Burt

Hard times of any kind—whether globally affecting all, or just personally affecting your own life—are a very revealing force. They reveal to each and every one of us the reality of our own human frailty. Hard times reveal just how much we aren’t in control of our lives. Hard times reveal just how much we don’t know what to do. To the person not blinded by their own pride, hard times reveal how much they need God. And if they need God, they need His promises. You and I need His promises, but we need something more than His promises. We need sincere faith in His promises. Jesus died not only to offer us mercy in forgiving our sins, but also to make us His own children and leave us precious promises to live by. 2 Peter 1:4 “Through these God has given us His very great and precious promises so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

There are times when you feel like you are in the lowest place in your life with the devil accusing you as the sole fault of the troubles you are in. Even if that was true-which it seldom is, it wouldn’t be as though there was no hope. Yet the enemy of your soul wants to make you feel hopeless. He’d like to convince you to quit and take your life. Most people have been brought to the point of experiencing those kinds of thoughts at some point in their life.

Christians aren’t immune from hard times and discouragement, but they have something the world doesn’t! They have great and precious promises that God has made available to them! You can be in the lowest point of your life—feeling desperate, confused, and not knowing what to do or what steps to take—yet you open your Bible and as you do pray, “God please speak to my heart and lift me from this place of hopelessness.” Suddenly your eyes fall upon the words, “For you, O Lord, have delivered MY soul from death, MY eyes from tears, MY feet from stumbling,” Psalm 116:8. When you read those words, you know they are more than just words. You sense that God is speaking them to you personally. They have become your promise. This is a sacred place. It’s a gift from God. You’ve been suddenly lifted from hopelessness to faith in God. Only Christians have this benefit!

When the promises of God become real to you, then no matter what state of mind you’re in good or bad, your heart immediately recognizes them and embraces them. Your faith is instantly increased and it’s at this point that miraculous things happen in your life. You are transformed in your emotions from depressed and discouraged to one that wants to defeat the enemy and get ready to rumble!

The promises of God lift you from despair reminding you that God always wants to help you in every situation. That is what the psalmist recognized here and it’s a promise to you today. Psalm 94:16-19 (NLT) “Who will protect me from the wicked? Who will stand up for me against evildoers? Unless the Lord had helped me, I would soon have died. I cried out, “I’m slipping!” and your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.”

If all this still doesn’t convince you, then consider this prayer that Jesus prayed for His disciples almost 2000 years ago. He didn’t just pray it for them. He was also looking forward to this very day, thinking of and praying for you!

John 17:20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me because of the gospel they preach concerning me.”

If Jesus prayed for you then, He cares for you now! That is a promise! Put your faith in it.

In His love,
Pastor Tim